Need advice: Wet AND dry food

[karagraaf]

I have just learned about wet foods. I had no idea it was better for cats. Unfortunately I can't do all wet. I Just cant. But I want to at least give some wet foods, I think some is better then nothing. So I am giving half a 5.5 oz can a day and the rest dry food.

Right now her feeding schedule is just a mess because she is pregnant and I pretty much let her eat as much as she wants. But I'm just not sure how to feed her wet and dry, should I just mix it all together or give her wet separately and let her eat dry in a separate bowl all day? After she has the babies and they are weaned, how do I feed her. She is 5-6 Months old, (poor girl) so she will still continue to eat the dry kitten formula, probably 3 times a day. I guess I just don't know what the heck I'm doing.. Lol.

Does anyone else feed half dry and half wet? How much? how often? and do you mix it together or give separately? Do you give a little wet at each meal or just make one meal all wet food? Also Do you warm up the wet or give it cold?
Thank you so much in advance!

 

[petcrazy76]

I give my cats each a half scoop of dry food in the morning and at bedtime. They are nibblers so it's out all day. Im not sure how big the scoop is, it came with the container we keep the food in.

Around supper time my daughter splits a can between our two cats. It's room temperature and they like it that way. But Peanut hates cold food so when it's out of the fridge I do heat it. Some cats prefer it warm and Peanut will only eat it if it's properly smashed down.

My cats are picky and will not eat a mix so I keep them separate.

 

[stephanietx]

Since she's pregnant, I'd give her kitten food as it's got a lot more nutrients in it, which is what those babies need that she's carrying.  Is she undernourished?  If not, one wet food serving a day is a good starting point.  Just cut back on the dry amount you feed to compensate for the wet.  However, since she's pregnant and will soon be nursing, I don't know that I'd limit much at this time.

 

[karagraaf]

At this point I am just letting her eat as much dry kitten food as she wants, and adding some wet (1/2 can) on a seperate plate in the morning) . I have read that some people mix it all up, some people add water.. Should I've doing something to it?

I've had her for a month so she has been eating well since then. When I got her, she was abandoned for about a week or two, but a woman was leaving some food out for her, so it could have been worse.

If I were to give my cat an all wet diet, would one 5.5 oz can usually be for the whole day? Eventually I may do that, but I have to see how much that cuts cuts into my grocery budget and how I can make it work. But with her eating so much now and I imagine when she is nursing and when the kittens start to eat, there is just no way I will be able to afford all wet food.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Once the kittens are weaned, probably one 5.5 oz can per day will be plenty.  Probably. It really depends on what size she is when she matures.  Being a kitten herself, it's really impossible to know for sure.  But on average, yes.  And you can feed Friskies...they actually have some decent grain free foods.  Not all of the Friskies are, but some of their Pates are. 

OR, for another route, some cat foods come in even larger cans. 12 oz, I think.  Those are even less expensive in the long run.  And they are some of the better foods! 

 

[irinasak]

Given the fact that she is pregnant, maybe you can ask this question in the designated forum (Pregnant cats and kittens care). I am suggesting that because she has special nutritional needs and there are experienced people there who can provide you with the answers you seek.

Because she is very young and pregnant, I would let her eat as much as she wants. I am not a vet, but I know at 6 months she is still growing and needs more food and being pregnant means that she needs more food for the kittens, so this adds up as... more food.  You could let her have dry food all the time and give two meals of wet, maybe a 3 oz can split between morning and evening at first and take it from there. As far as I can tell, most cats like "mouse temperature" - not too hot but definitely not from the freezer. See how her tummy feels and adjust from there. Just put the foods in different bowls. I have read that the wet and the dry take different amounts of time to be digested, however I have not encountered any problems with feeding both wet and dry at the same meal, different bowls, not mixed up. If your kitty has problems with that, you can always feed meals of wet only and meals of dry only (I do feel though as she should eat when and how much she desires for now).

Never add water on top of the kibble, it is a bacteria disaster. I do add water with the wet, but that is because my cats have some medicines with the wet.

After the kittens are weaned, you can put her on scheduled feeding and wet only. Most cats do well with three meals a day and, depending on the quality of the food and the overall cat's metabolism and activity, a 5.5 oz can should do.

Please note that this is just my humble opinion and I am very opened to being corrected if wrong.

 

[vball91]

You can add some water to the canned to ensure she gets more water. Adding warm water to the cold food from the fridge warms it back up to near room temperature if your cat does not like the food cold. Some don't and some don't seem to care if it's cold, so it's a really an individual cat thing.

Yes, the Friskies pates are the most reasonably priced of the decent foods. Less than 50 cents for the 5.5 oz can and less than $1 for the 13 oz cans at Walmart, so it can be less than $15 a month to feed all wet. Buying in bulk definitely helps. You can get some good deals that way. Some of the other better foods that come in larger cans are Nature's Variety Instinct and Hound & Gatos.

 

[karagraaf]

Thank you everyone! I am understanding it better! I am in the pregnant cat forums often and was told by them and my vet to just let her eat as much as she wants. I guess I'm just trying to figure out a good system that works and also what i'll do when the babies are weaned. Everyone was a great help!